


Aethelind Sinclair

by DoisMundos



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Mean Griffindors, Parseltongue, Slytherin Pride, im sorry im so bad at tagging things, nothing triggering i dont think, there is some bullying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-20 05:05:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3637839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoisMundos/pseuds/DoisMundos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When McGonagall cast Piertotum Locomotor in the Battle of Hogwarts, a certain statue in the Chamber of secrets was roused, and it stayed that way. What happens when a lonely sixth year Slytherin girl finds her way into the chamber? What will she learn?<br/>What will she feel?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aethelind Sinclair

**Author's Note:**

> I am not 100% sure how this is going to go because this is just an idea that wouldn't leave me alone. I may or may not continue this fic, it really depends on the level of interest it gets and how heavy my workload becomes. Also, Aethelind is pronounced ee-ther-lind. I know it’s a bit silly but I think it’s reasonable to presume that some Slytherin families give their kids silly, stuck-up names. I mean look at the Malfoys :’)

Aethelind Sinclair exited the class with a breath of relief. Still stuffing books and quills into her bag, she hurried down the steps and made her way to care of magical creatures, and away from Edward and Timothy, the cruel Griffindors who had been steadily taunting her that lesson for struggling with Wingardium Leviosa. Their jibes still rung in her ears as she walked up to Hagrid’s cabin, and as she sat down, Aethelind tried her best to ignore the knot in her throat. She was early for class because of how she had hurried away from charms and so she pulled her winter robes a bit tighter and studied the lumpy green bag laid on the ground, presumably for today's lesson. Slowly students began to trickle out of the castle and downhill the same way Aethelind had come and gathered in front of the cabin. Soon enough Hagrid emerged from the forest and the morning’s lesson began. It turned out that the bag actually contained Runespoors; long, three headed snakes with striking orange and black stripes. Hagrid explained they were studying them in the winter as the snakes hibernated during the cold season, and as the right head is highly venomous, to study them at any other time would be just too dangerous. Aethelind was delighted when the class was instructed to sketch the reptiles and label them accordingly. Charms may be a struggle but she was certain no one in her whole year drew better than her, so Edward and Timothy would be hard-pressed to find something to criticise Aethelind for during the next 45 minutes. Keen to exercise her skill, Aethelind got to work on the diagram. The snakes lay motionless on the ground, curled around each other every which-way. Aethelind leaned in to get a better look at the pattern of the scales when suddenly, the body in front of her was ripped away from her gaze. Confused for a moment, she looked up to find Timothy holding the still sleeping snake by the neck of its middle head.

“That’s a bit close for comfort don’t you think? Why you so obsessed with this thing? Just look at it! It’s so gross!” He aggressively waved the snake in her face. Athelind’s chest tightened as every student focused their attention on her. “Well? Why are you then?” asked Timothy through fits of laughter. “It’s because she’s in love with it” said a new voice from behind Aethelind. “Trashbag Slytherin is hot for a snake” Bouts of laughter erupted from the Gryffindor half of the class. Aethelind could feel her face growing hot and her eyes prickling but she kept her mouth shut. Timothy shoved the head into her face again. “Go on, give it a kiss” he laughed. Aethelind tried to step away but Edward, the voice from behind, held her in place. “No, don’t” huffed Aethelind as she tried to push Timothy away and wriggle out of Edwards grip, and in the same moment, two things happened. Hagrid, finally realising what was going on, bellowed at the boys to get away and “PUT DOWN THAT RUDDY SNAKE” and the snake, finally, began to stir. Edward stepped away from Aethelind and Timothy, horrified, threw the snake directly away from him and right onto Aethelind. Frozen, she stood there, snake in hand and watched the class descend into chaos around her. Students were screaming and running in all directions and books and sketches littered the air and ground.

Eventually, the undisturbed snakes were put away into their bag and the class had gathered in a group about five meters away from Aethelind and the snake, still stirring slightly in her hands. “Don’t move girl” Hagrid told her gravely. Aethelind couldn’t have even if she had wanted to. “Now, it was probably the body heat what warmed it up so jus’ slowly unfold yer palms and hold the thing away from yer chest.” She did as she was told. “And jus, jus gently lower it down.” She did just that. As soon as it was on the ground Hagrid quickly scooped it up with a long metal rod with a loop on its end and everyone present let out a collective sigh of relief. Just as the snake had been deposited into the bag with its brothers and sisters, the bell rang out across the schools grounds. Suddenly the class erupted into conversation and there was a great hurry to collect books and sketches to get back to the castle. “Oh no yer don’t” Hagrid grabbed the collars of Timothy and Edward, who had been trying to slip away in the rush. Aethelind, also not wanting to be kept behind and curious to know what would happen to the boys, chose to quietly sneak away from the crowd, behind Hagrid’s cabin.

"What exactly do you two think yer playn at" she heard Hagrid ask. The boys didn't respond. Hagrid let out sound of disgust. "Right then, off we go ter McGonagall's office then" and Aethelind heard three sets of feet march away from the cabin and up to the castle. Aethelind breathed out, slid down the cabins wall and allowed herself a quick cry.

It had always been this way. Maybe not quite this physical, but the humiliation and the taunting was a familiar narrative. But Aethelind was not a victim. She refused to be. She had grit. She worked hard. She got good grades, she kept fit and she made sure her hair, skin and nails were always immaculate. She was not friendless either. There was a small number of people at Hogwarts that Aethelind would do literally anything for. They just weren’t in class today. So Aethelind refused to continue to sit there and cry. She wiped her eyes, packed her things and picked herself up and she was proud. Aethelind was proud to be Aethelind. Aethelind was also very angry. For what seemed like the millionth time in her life, Aethelind heard her grandmother’s words ring through her head. “Revenge is best served cold” She said the words to herself very softly, to help her calm down.

“Indeed it is child…”

Aethelind nearly fell over herself. “Who’s there” she called.

“Shh, not so loud” Aethelind followed the voice back to the front of the cabin, to where the green bag still lay on the earth. Hand shaking, she lifted a fold of the fabric back to face the same Runespoor snake from earlier. “Did you just…”

“I ccccertainly did” Aethelind stared. “I’m cold” said the snake “I’m not surprised” replied Aethelind “Are your other heads OK?” she asked, because they still appeared to be unconscious.

“Oh yesss, I believe they are sstill sleeping” Aethelind stared silently at the snake for a while longer while she took everything in. A Parseltongue. She was a Parseltongue. Unbelievable.

“Take me with you”

“What?”

“Take me with you. Back to the cassstle”

“And why” she sat down, elbows on knees “should I do that?” Aethelind could have sworn she saw the thing grin.

“I can show placesss, hidden places, full of ssssecrets”

“What, like in the school?”

“Mhmm”

“But why do _you_ want to come back with me?”

“My kind don’t survive very long in the wild, on our own…”

“What will Hagrid think when he realises he is one snake short?”

“That the roused one ssslipped away into the forest after everyone had left…”

Aethelind thought about it. Hidden places full of secrets sounded very tempting. She didn’t really care if Hagrid got into a bit of trouble over a missing snake, because he had failed to do anything about Timothy and Edward before it was too late. Besides, it was likely those two would cop the blame more than anyone else, and that was also a nice thought… “All right come on then” and she opened her bag and let the snake slowly make its way in.

 

 


End file.
